Democracy: 1,000 Years in Pursuit of British Liberty - Hardcover

Kellner, Peter

3.71

7 ratings by Goodreads

9781845965068: Democracy: 1,000 Years in Pursuit of British Liberty

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 184596506X ISBN 13: 9781845965068

Publisher: Mainstream Publishing, 2009

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Democracy is Britain’s gift to the world. Most of the ideas and ideals that have shaped the world’s democracies can be traced back to arguments and reforms that first erupted there. Democracy tells the 1,000-year story of the bitter battles over those arguments and reforms, in the words of those who shaped British democracy, fought for it, and resisted it. It includes the major documents of the past millennium, such as the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights, and the speeches of the big beasts of the democratic jungle, such as Thomas More, Cromwell, Wilberforce, Gladstone, and Churchill, as well as the contributions made to the democracy struggle by rebels, poets, satirists, and novelists, from Shakespeare and Burns to Dickens and Orwell. Also featured are many important documents that have been rescued from obscurity, such as a speech that a prominent 20th century MP was barred from delivering: he wanted to argue why he should not be expelled from the House of Commons. Democracy covers not just the constitution and the law, but debates over free speech, slavery, empire, the death penalty, and Europe, and includes key events in England’s relations with Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. This remarkable chronicle is guaranteed to inform, educate, and inspire.

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About the Author:

Peter Kellner is the president of internet-based market research firm YouGov. He has been a journalist with Evening Standard, the Independent, New Statesman, and Sunday Times newspapers.

Review:

"Splendid ... Britain blazed the trail for liberty and this anthology is an entertaining, and often humbling, reminder of what a dazzling journey it has been" The Telegraph "Kellner has an uncanny ability to convey the complexities of politics to a wide audience" The Guardian "There are some glorious nuggets here ... In his elegant and thoughtful introduction, Kellner debunks the myth that Britain was a unique cradle of liberty" Sunday Times "A fascinating collection of speeches and writings charting the progress of British politics" The Tablet

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